This is the "modern" version of the older design first aid pump appliance depicted in picture 43321 - and has a very similar specification, but with a more comfortable enclosed crew cab. This, and others like it, often had five seats because the rear seat was too narrow for four occupants. French fire services still tend to divide their fleets into compact first aid pumps with limited dimensions alongside bigger, more powerful units with more pumping capacity, larger water tanks, longer ladders, additional hoses and equipment and either a six or eight person crew.
This approach makes sure small vehicles are available to get into otherwise inaccessible parts of older town centers, and enables a fire station to dispatch a single small unit with a small crew to minor incidents without tying up an entire watch. A further refinement has been to add the VTU, which is simply a large van with basic equipment to handle most general service alarms, crewed by two members who are switched away from one or more other units when needed.
This approach makes sure small vehicles are available to get into otherwise inaccessible parts of older town centers, and enables a fire station to dispatch a single small unit with a small crew to minor incidents without tying up an entire watch. A further refinement has been to add the VTU, which is simply a large van with basic equipment to handle most general service alarms, crewed by two members who are switched away from one or more other units when needed.
Added by Rob Johnson on 17 May 2022.